Chapter Text
Although The Black Lion and Shiro now had a near perfect bond, there were certain instances where Shiro couldn't stand his robotic partner.
Allura, when assigning the team their Lions, had described the mechanical feline as 'the Decisive Head of Voltron', and the corresponding Paladin had to be someone 'whose men would follow without hesitation'. Both had to be true leaders, true heroes, stable and able to work together without a hitch. They were destined to be the driving force behind the 'Savior of the Universe', and that meant a partnership unlike any other was a necessity. Over the year that the team had been active, that kind of relationship was formed; Shiro had fought the ruler of an intergalactic empire in another dimension just to prove it. The two had forged a bond built on understanding and trust, though both could waver at any time.
Unbeknownst to the rest of the Universe, when one has a Lion Bond, it was constant communication. Feelings, thoughts, and ideas were blended into each others head, sometimes to the point where it was indistinguishable what belonged to who. This was the most useful and desired relationship with the near magical felines, as it created higher possibility that one would pull through a battle, or when either Paladin or Lion would need repair, both knew how to contact a medic, or engineer. It wasn't so much a form of telepathy where one's mind could be pried through, but more so a version of conveyance.
Also, Shiro found, when the relationship between the two was strong enough, verbal conversations were plausible, and possible. Shiro and Black, when close enough to speak, had long conversations about anything that came to the two's minds. Black, with his rich, soothing tone, would recount the days of old, when Zarkon and the original band of Paladins would save the day. In turn, Shiro would describe the events before Kerberos, and how he remembered his far away home planet. Chatting about teams both new and old, recounting tales of the past, and over all learning about the other, Shiro found that Black was a wise, peaceful source of information.
But, as the Human leader would learn, The Black Lion could be a coy, unbearable conversationalist and Shiro a helpless leader with a merciless teammate. Thus, periods of time passed where Black was a handful and then some. His Lion would always be the older, outranking one of the pair, the somewhat older brother to the human. As customary with all elder siblings, Black could be teasing and relentless in all the actions that concerned the younger. And he's obviously obliged to tease about crushes.
This included hardcore crushes on the team's resident tech expert.
In the aspect of love, the Black Paladin was never one to ask for advice. On Earth, he had only ever dated once or twice, and in those instances, Shiro had always been the one to be asked, and the one who was dumped. He considered the emotions of love and all that came with it one of his many weaknesses, a gray area for the ex-pilot. Shiro had every intension of keeping it that way, at least until the fabled 'one' came along. He was determined to wait for the right person before making a move that would have an undesired effect.
Said 'one' came in the form of his best friend's sister: an adventurous, brilliant, extravagant young woman by the name of Katie 'Pidge' Holt. Ever since the two reconnected after the failed Kerberos exploration mission, the Black Paladin had become infatuated with the honey-haired genius. By just her attitude, wit, and endless amounts of sarcasm, Shiro had felt his heart beat a tad bit faster at the girl. He began to fall head first after the journey to meet the Olkari, noticing all the tiny habits that was her nature: Tiny sniffs when she would see something unpleasant, how much her grin would grow after she cracked through a firewall- it was enough for the older teen to go insane. The aforementioned grey area had become as bright as her color, and as lively all the same. She curled her way into his head like a blast from her Lion's vine cannon, and the intruding thoughts had no intention of going anywhere soon. Yet, Shiro considered the feelings one-sided, so he hid it away as best he could; but, the growing emotion seeped into his actions and even into the Lion Bond.
The former was a terrible mistake, in Shiro's opinion.
He had been in Black's cockpit the day he sorted most of it out, so it wasn't as if he had tried too hard, though.
It had been just after they had seized a Galran outpost for the Blade of Marmora, the battle over after a day's worth of fighting. Voltron, in all of his glory, was forced to be used, the giant's sword driven through hoards of Galra fighters in order for the Blade to sneak aboard the main ship. The sector then cleared of the Empire's influence, the team was permitted to rest and move on towards the next outpost. The collective ten members of Voltron had returned to their hangers, awaiting both repair and rest from the dents, blaster fire, an colorful bruises they had earned. Black's controls had powered down, purple screens flickering off, yet Shiro had lingered in the cockpit, staying in the pilot's chair. He needed a quiet place to think, at least for a minuet, before he joined the others.
'My Paladin, what is the matter?' His lion had asked. 'We were victorious, and there were no civilian casualties.'
"It's Ka- Pidge. She nearly got herself killed out there," Shiro tore his helmet off, letting it fall into his lap. "This isn't the first time, either! It's like she has an impulse to throw herself into the middle of a fight. I feel like I should say something.'
Black must've felt his worry through the link. 'She is out of harm's way, and she only was fired upon so heavily so Green and herself could guard your escape. Every time she "throws herself into a fight", she hatches a plan for her and others to retreat or seize. Is that not enough proof that she can both protect herself and others?'
Shiro had ran his hands through the white tufts of hair that perched upon his head. "It-it is, but when she tries to take the blow so we don't-" He let out a breath, relaxing from the frenzied pitch his voice was dissolving to. After a pregnant pause, he finally spoke up again, tone timid as if what he could say could be horrific. "I just- I- I don't want to see her hurt. Quiznack, She's irreplaceable to..."
'To you?' Black finished, the frustration that the human felt smoothing into the beginning of embarassment- that, and something else. He felt the nameless emotion bubble underneath his chest, heat painted across his cheeks as he tried to shove it away.
Shiro fumbled with the locked controls, eyes focused intently on the floor panels as to somehow avoid Black's. "I mean, she's irreplacible to everyone to the universe, really, but... I dunno. It's like- she matters to me too much. Every little thing Pidge does affects me, in someway. it's more than the Paladin bond, that's what's strange. If she is overly excited, I feel better. If she hits a roadblock in her scans or something, I feel unproductive and miserable."
He placed his fist under his chin as he pondered. "It's more than just feelings. When she wakes up and her hair is ruffled, I can't focus on any thing else that day. When she comes to me wanting to talk and she's down, I'll get her to laugh, and it's-"
Black hummed as he continued, the sentient machine silent.
".. Then, when she cracks a code, or invents something," Shiro began to explain, though if it was to himself or his partner, he would never know. He stood quickly, helmet clattering to the ground. "Her eyes light up, and it's light someone put LEDs in her head. And when she looks your way and her eyes are like that.."
He chuckled, hand reaching to the nape of his neck. The human then paused, eyes flickering up and slightly widening. " I've never seen anything so golden. Or so be-"
Shiro's breath hitched in his throat, heart beating faster than he would've ever liked. His conclusion echoed through out his head, bouncing off of his skull as he slumped back into the pilot's chair. He swallowed, blinking in both confusion and relief. The previously dubbed 'unknown' feeling that had colored his cheeks now earning his name.
"Holy shit," He whispered, steel grey eyes narrowing. "I'm in love with her."
It took the rest of the day and the next for Shiro to catch the courage to look Pidge in the eyes, and another three for Shiro to attempt to act somewhat normal around her. He had never been the best liar, so the ex-prisoner could only helplessly ponder how utterly terrible he held his guard.
"Shiro?"
The soft voice echoed throughout the kitchen, the source standing before the automatic door. He turned from where he stood by the Altean version of the sink, robotic hand ignited as he lit the surrounding area. With only his robotic limb to glow the surrounding area purple, the two were surrounded by the dancing figures of shadows. It only took him a few seconds to register who the question had belonged to. He offered the sleepy figure a gentle smile.
"Hey, Pidge." Meeting her honey brown gaze, he couldn't help but desperately suppress his rising blush. She offered a smile, rubbing her eyes lazily as she padded near him.
"Why are you still awake?" She crept onto the counter next to him, leaning her head against the futuristic cabinets.
He tore his gaze away from her, stifling a sigh. Vivid night terrors of his imprisonment had tore him from his slim amount of sleep, the slivers of half assembled memories bubbling at the back of his brain. Shiro had stumbled into the kitchen, breath shaky and stance weak, in order to find some sort of drinkable substance that could help him swallow the unpleasant experiences down his throat. Three concoctions down, and he hadn't felt even a tad bit refreshed.
"Couldn't sleep," He answered, the full depth of his statement taken in by the younger. He and Pidge had learned by then that they would read each other with ridiculous ease, Pidge peeling the pages of him apart and deciphering them as quick as a science textbook. Shiro only hoped she hadn't skipped to the page that explained his feelings for her.
Pidge nodded, smiling softly at him as she moved her hand over his metal one. "Me either. Though, I mean, my reason is probably different than yours."
Shiro's cheeks flushed red at the contact, cursing at his artificial hand for dulling it. He looked back into the cup he had been sipping on, failing to fight back a love-struck grin. After a beat or two of silence, Pidge's hand slipped from his to the half-empty container. While he bit back a pout, her laugh echoed in his ears. Turning to the side, he watched as she gestured to his cup.
"Do you know what this is?" She giggled, golden orbs bright in the dull light. "This is one of Hunk's food goo experiments, he tried to make it into a drink a few times. How is it?"
His face darkened, embarrassment flooding through the two's Paladin link. "... Bad. Gagworthy, really."
Her giggling continued on. "I knew it would!"
As he kept his eyes on her, he could feel the tension the nightmare had instilled into him ease, his shoulders relaxing. The bitter and unpleasant taste that resides in his mouth melted away, all of Shiro's senses dilated as he focused on the laughing brunette before him. Cursing himself for being so defenseless against Pidge's smile, he joined in, the two chuckling in the darkness of the Castle's kitchen.
After endless weeks of the two bumping into each other, Pidge waking him after nightmares, and Shiro finding her slumped over her workbench, the Black Lion had had enough with the two dancing around each other. He and Green had watched as the two grew closer, but each put a dampener on their side of the Paladin bond, so the Lions only stood by as the head and left arm of Voltron pinned after each other.
So, one day when trouble was scarce and The leader of the humans decided to train, Black decided to pry upon Shiro's topic of affection.
Combining matters of the heart and preparing for potential battles did not combine as smooth as Shiro would hope.
Shiro's Galran hand split through the chest-plate of the Altean robot, the tearing of wires and software visible as the drone felt limp against his elbow. Some sort of coolant leaked onto his cyborg limb, the glowing purple life-fuel coating his metallic arm. The lights draining out of its singular eye, it slumped over, leaving the attacker to dispose of the corpse. He yanked his arm out of the new chest cavity, droid clattering in a crumpled mess to the ground. The computer did away with its remains.
'You are miserably in love.' Black purred; Shiro could feel his Lion lounging in his hanger, front limbs crossed over each other as he communicated with the human. 'Not even your predecessors were this... helpless. Much less with another Paladin. I must say, that is new.'
Shiro swiveled his head back to where the next droid had yet to load, praying that he wasn't mortally wounded by having to defend himself against both his Lion and a robot. "Black, we are not having this conversation." He watched as another drone, now holding a blade similar to Keith's, materialized before him. It pointed the sword towards its attacker, its stance mirroring how the Red Paladin used to issue a fight. Hand glowing purple, the Black Paladin raced toward it, dodging its sword's first blow. A shield generated in its other hand, the bottom of it butting into Shiro's stomach. He stumbled back as he attempted to regain his footing, then leaping out of the blade's range as he tried to distance himself. The droid charged forward, red blade missing the Paladin's chest by only an inch or two as Shiro swung to the side. He spun behind it, kicking its knees out from under it, grabbing the neck to prevent any movement. As it began to turn, he dove his glowing fist through it, killing it in mere seconds.
'Actually, I believe we are.' He responded, tail flickering back and forth. 'When your affections affect your actions as a Paladin, it's my job to interfere. You nearly compromised the mission. Besides, you are awfully frustrating to watch, at times.'
The next robot held Lance's blaster, the sharpshooter's gun nailing his shoulder as soon as it loaded. He staggered back, holding the joint with his robotic limb. It stung, and a deep, colorful bruise would appear soon to add onto the multitude of others. He silently thanked Coran for setting all the blaster fire to stun. After a nasty incident when Pidge was shot in the thigh in a training round, the five humans demanded it to be as such. A shield flickered to life from Shiro's shield, the next round of shots absorbed by the turquoise barrier.
Shiro sprinted toward it, slamming the barrel away from him with the shield and diving his hand toward its face. "That was one time!" He grunted in response, hand missing the droid's head as it dodged. "And I did not jeopardize the mission, I was making sure Pidge was okay! Her Lion went down, you know that."
'Three times, actually. Afterwards, you couldn't stop, how do you say, 'gushing', over her. Should I quote you?'
The Black Paladin groaned. "Stop."
Amusement seeped from his elder's voice. "Hmm, what was it you said? Something about how-'
The Earthling hid behind the shield as the droid's shots clanged against it, Shiro gaining ground as he approached. He grunted as he shoved the translucent shield against the robot, moving his weight onto it in the hope he might force it to the paneled floor. "Stop that!"
His Lion make some sort of warm chuckling noise, a hearty, playful growl echoing in his head. 'First it was her self sacrificing tendencies-'
His face burned, Shiro blushing as he failed to keep his focus on the firing robot ahead of him. The memory of him complaining about how he felt for her was crystal clear in his head.
"Black!" He interrupted his own thought process, the scar on his nose now white from the red that was painted across his cheeks and nose. The droid shoved back, the two now in a reversed gave of tag-o'-war. "That isn't helping any of my situations right now! Maybe do something that does?"
'I am helping. I'm afraid my only other option is aiding Zarkon, so this is the better option, My Paladin. For the good of the universe, hmm?'
Shiro drove his fuel-covered, ignited hand into the droid's torso, yanking it out and punching its faceplate. The robot, toppled over, now laid dead on the floor, devoid of any glowing signs of life. He sighed, shook off the fragment of wires and fuel, hurried over to it, then watched as the Castle dumped it with the other deactivated droids. He allowed the computer to scan him, fresh and dried coolant lifting off of his black and white armor. The system beeped as it pulled up a holo-screen, reporting only three new bruises and two new slashes. Not bad for two hours of fighting droids, considering his track record.
"Your definition of help is very different from mine. Does it mean something different in Altean?" He quipped as he watched his hand fade back to black and silver, his Lion's amusement tugging at the back of his skull.
'I do not think it does.'
Shiro rolled his eyes, tearing his helmet off of his head and resting it on his hip. He ran his gloved fingers through his white tufts of hair, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. With a hiss of the hydraulics, the automatic door slid open, allowing him to exit the training deck. Shucking his Paladin armor off of his forearms, he let the black and white metal slid into the canister.
"Do not tell me you full intend to keep your emotions secret from her, as that would be highly idiotic."
The upper arms and chest piece came off next, Shiro ducking out of them. "Call me an idiot, then. I'm not going to take an uncalculated risk."
Black, with an semi-annoyed growl, quickly responded. "My Idiotic Paladin, I'm afraid I'll have to take this into my own hands."
The legs and boots were next, the Altean armor tucked away in its casing. He spun on his heel, escaping the room and heading to the bridge without a second thought or a response to his Lion, except that of a 'Nothing embarrassing- I can have Pidge take off your modifications- no!' feeling reaching across the bond. The older of the two waved him off, cutting the conversation as Shiro retreated from the topic of his beloved Green Paladin.
Black curled his tail around his scuffed hindquarters, reaching out to the second smallest Lion of the Voltron five. She soon responded, Green sleepily answering. Black could sense she was back-down in her hanger, the raven and gold shoulder plate of Voltron pressed against the ground. She rolled over onto her side, jaw opening and closing in a silent yawn- a habit she had adopted from her tiny 'Bird'.
"You called, Black?"
Black crossed his front paws over each other, eyes flickering in a blink-like manner from the usage of his name. Green and himself had always been a closer pair than the rest; sure, Red and Blue loved to bicker and Green and Yellow bonded over their intelligent Paladins, but Black and her seemed to click. Green would spew information about her paladin excitedly, and Black would shrink into a ball and confess his constant stress about his own. Each came to the other when comfort, entertainment, or company was a necessity. Guardian Sprits of the Sky and Forest did tend to go together, after all.
Coincidentally, it was a parallel situation with their Paladins. Shiro would seek Pidge out for comfort and amusement, and she would come to him for advice and solace. The two fit together like a glove, and both hid their true feelings for the other. It was truly frustrating at times for the two Lions having to watch the fragile humans pine relentlessly after each other, but shut themselves down every time. Black understood the affection Shiro had for the tiny female, and Green vice versa. The brightly colored Lion would whine and complain about the two being so clueless, fuming at their obliviousness.
"I need your assistance with something." Voltron's head requested, hoping his tone wasn't discouraging his cohort.
Green purred gently, rolling over on her stomach. ".. hmm. What do you need?"
"We're going to do something about Shiro and Pidge. I assume you understand my meaning?" Black was startled as he heard a squeal escape her maw, giddiness cycling through their link. A brief thudding echoed between the hangers, the methodic pattern he recognized as her light running. She slid to a stop in the entrance of his hanger, yellow eyes brighter than he had seen in over ten-thousand years.
"Holy quiz- ah, sorry- you're serious?" Though neither of their faces could express emotion as most living creatures did, he could feel the endless happiness and excitement bubbling through their bond. He remained quiet, shifting his wings as he watched her soak in his previous statement. He didn't suppress his embarrassment or satisfaction as Green tucked herself next to him, tail swishing from side to side excitedly. Her paws underneath her, the smaller Lion leaned against him.
"What do you need from My Bird and I?" She lovingly referred to her Paladin, swiveling her head to meet his, near nose-to-nose. The larger battleship offered an amused chuckle as she beamed at him, her poise alert and eager for mischief. Nothing new. Black ran a quick check for the other Lions' positions- they didn't need someone else butting into their match-making plan, in the off chance it would all come crashing down. At that moment, both Lions were filled with an unbreakable sense of determination- they would pair their partners together, no matter what lengths it took them.
"Green, our plan is simple...'